The manufacture of low cost fibers and webs has become a well developed industry making possible many innovative products such as disposable diapers, child swim pants, child training pants, and adult incontinent wear, just to name a few. As these products evolve and improvements are made, the requirements of the fiber and web components have also changed placing ever increasing demands on these materials. In particular, elastic properties are sought for improved comfort and fit as waistbands, leg cuffs, and even overall backing or absorbent components of such products as well as others like surgeon's gown cuffs and the like. Traditional rubber and other textile elastic materials have found only limited use for these applications due to cost and difficulties in processing on high speed equipment used for manufacturing many of these disposable products.
Polymer manufacturers have made available new classes of olefin polymers that are melt-processable in much the same manner as traditional polyolefins but have elastic properties approaching those of traditional rubber and textile elastic and that can be cost effective for disposable fiber and web applications such as those previously described. Acceptance of these olefin polymers for many applications has been retarded, however, due to a tacky and uncomfortable feel that makes the fibers and webs undesirable for skin contact uses.
There is, therefore, a need for elastic fibers and webs that take advantage of low cost olefin polymers which do not have the associated tacky feel. This invention provides such fibers and webs of olefin polymers in conjugate fiber form as further described in detail below.